Tag: Cyclorama Civil War

Conceived in Chicago, created in Milwaukee, and premiered in Minneapolis, the Cyclorama was meant to celebrate the Union’s great triumph in capturing Atlanta and hastening the end of the Civil War. But when the painting moved South, new audiences flipped its meaning, bastardizing the spectacle into a testament to white Southern pride. For decades, it was a masterpiece of misinterpretation. Now, it has a new life at the Atlanta History Center.

Everything old is new again at this renovated Buckhead stalwart, which now features a StoryCorps studio, a Souper Jenny outpost, and an expanded bookstore and gift shop. Bonus: The museum no longer prohibits event guests from sipping cocktails while visiting the exhibits.